Turkey: A Major Target for Destabilization

Turkey's southern borders have been
transformed into intelligence and logistical hubs for the CIA and the
Mossad

by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya

If the Syrian state collapses, neighbouring Turkey will be the biggest
loser. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government are
foolishly aligning Turkey for disaster. Aside from Ankara's historically bad
relations with Armenia, Erdogan has managed to singlehandedly alienate
Russia and three of Turkey's most important neighbours. This has damaged the
Turkish economy and disrupted the flow of Turkish goods. There have been
clamp downs on activists too in connection with Turkey's policy against
Damascus. The freedom of the Turkish media has been affected as well;
Erdogan has moved forward with legislation to restrict media freedoms. Prime
Minister Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have even both
attacked "reporters who quoted President Assad's statements in Cumhuriyet,
accusing them of treason, because they had questioned the official Turkish
account of the Turkish jet shot down by in [sic.] Syria [for spying]."

To Turkey's eastern flank tensions are building between it and both Iraq and
Iran. Baghdad is reviewing its diplomatic ties with the Turkish government,
because Ankara is encouraging the Kurdistan Regional Government in Northern
Iraq to act independently of Iraq's federal government. Erdogan's government
has done this partially as a result of Baghdad's steadfast opposition to
regime change in Syria and in part because of Iraq's strengthening alliance
with Iran. Tehran on the other hand has halted the visa-free entry of
Turkish citizens into Iran and warned the Turkish government that it is
stroking the flames of a regional fire in Syria that will eventually burn
Turkey too. . . .